What does the bickering in Washington mean for the Peace Corps volunteers in Panama? Nothing much at the moment. Despite being part of the State Department, the Peace Corps has an Appropriations plan:
Basically this says that it is too expensive to send all the volunteers home (estimated $29 million), close out programs, and guard national possessions abroad. So the Peace Corps continues business as usual, supports its volunteers in all operations, and even carries out in-state stagings and pre-service training. They also generously value our work abroad at $15 million per month, so they factor that into losses as well. Oh Washington, I had no idea you cared so much…
Come on, Washington. Do you really want to bring THIS home early?
“Peace Corps is not required during a lapse in appropriated funding to take any action to evacuate Volunteers and return them to their homes of record.”
Of course that leaves us wondering… at what point does a lapse become a different beast entirely?
“The Peace Corps has a two-year appropriation and, in the absence of current year appropriations, may use any funding remaining available from the immediately preceding fiscal year to continue operations in furtherance of the Peace Corps Act.”
So as long as our two-year appropriations hold out, we will stay and hope we can outlast the Republican and Democratic squabble? Additional concerns: any emergency medical expenses incurred during a shutdown or “lapse in appropriated funding” won’t be covered. You may be able to get them reimbursed, but try to stay healthy! GREAT!
Volunteer living allowances and other subsistence payments will continue to be paid so long as they were ‘obligated’ BEFORE the shutdown. Which could mean that if this lasts into November, most of us will be using money out of pocket to pay the bills.
The good news is that in 1995 there was a government shutdown that lasted 5 and 21 days. I can find no mention of Peace Corps suspending its operations, but have found cute volunteer success stories from 1995 and 1996. I don’t know if the appropriations plan was different back then, but this bodes well for we volunteers in the bush.
This is all very fresh news to us and we’re riding the media sensationalism high. Everyone is imagining the worst-case scenario and hoping for the best: get paid. Stay here. Don’t get terminated after only seven months! But the fact is this: our visas last us 30 months. None of us have to leave Panama until August 2015. (I think). There are many directions this shutdown could take us, but we’re all keeping our gaze straight ahead and focusing instead on what we’re doing tomorrow. I’m going to the school, taking banana-blueberry bread to a few neighbors, and enjoying sunrise at the beach in this small haven of mine.
Sushibear Goes to Panama 